Ski resorts ask for lower electricity costs

Quebec ski resorts are asking Hydro-Quebec to reduce its winter rate, as due to the melting snow caused by the rains, resorts will have to bring out energy-efficient ice cannons, which will blow up their costs. ‘Electricity.

According to Yves Junayu, president of the Association des Stations de Ski du Quebec (ASSQ), the additional costs of electricity in the winter can reach as much as 000 300,000 for the most affected stations. For example, at Mont-Saint-Anne in Quebec, it can be up to an additional $ 150,000, not counting overtime for runway employees.

“This is an additional bill that will be added, and at the moment we can not afford it. We are going to pay for electricity. What we are asking for is that they will not impose a” fine “,” Junai told QMI agency in an interview.

In response to the association’s request, Hydro-Quebec Agency told QMI that it had implemented tariff mitigation measures for all its customers “including Sky Centers”.

“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Association and the Sky Centers to identify actions that apply to their situation,” wrote Genevieve Chowdhury, Crown Corporation’s Communications Consultant.

Cursed rain

The torrential rains were adopted by ski resorts as a “stick in the back of the head” as they melted considerable snow. In the Charlevoix Massif, 36 cm of ice accumulated on Earth completely disappeared under 75 to 85 mm of rain.

“We have already accumulated delays, but here, with the historic flood, we are no longer in a state of procrastination; we are in a state of crisis,” said de Ski du Quebec, president of the Association des Stations.

Yves Junayu said the work, which will come using ice cannons, should be completed by February, instead of ending the snow in late December.

We must wait for temperatures to drop below zero before we can restart these devices. For ski resorts, this is a new start that is guaranteed to be expensive.

“Usually, during Christmas, we are at 50% [de surface skiable enneigée mécaniquement], But because November and December were so mild, we did not move forward as usual, ”said the president of the association.

The government has been in talks with Hydro-Quebec for several years to find a suitable rate for ice production.

This year, the request is simple and, for Yves Junai, relevant:

“We’re just saying: We ate a stick in the back of the head. Can you give us a small bandage to stop the bleeding?”